Pre-Scan Instructions

Then Helen prepared each participant for their tasks while in the scanner. Most important, the participant was instructed to think about specific, highly romantic times they had shared with their beloved. Equally important: they must avoid any sexual thoughts. We were studying romantic love; we didn’t wish to invite the sex drive to the party.

Participants were also asked to recall neutral events while viewing the Familiar Neutral, As well as count backwards when the large number popped onto the screen before their eyes.

Then came the scanning day. Helen (sometimes accompanied by grad students) would meet the participant, usher him or her to the scanning lab, make them comfortable in the machine, and orchestrate the collection of the data.